Cigarette dispenser



Dec. 8, 1942. N. N. BRIGHT 2,304,533

CIGARETTE DISPENSER Filed 001;. 19, 194g Patented Dec. 8, 1942 UNITED STATESTPATENT OFFICE 2,304,533 CIGARETTE DISPENSER Newell N. Bright, Des Moines, Iowa Application October 19, 1940, Serial No. 361,935

I 3 Claims. (QL BlZ-BS) This invention pertains more particularly to a device to be placed in stores for the purpose of containing a variety of particular kind of package article to be sold, such aspackages of cigarettes, wherein the various brands of the article being sold may be prominently displayed so that the purchaser may easily and quickly select the particular brand which he wishes to purchase, and by pressing a knob provided for that purpose, which corresponds to the brand he wishes to purchase, a package of said brand will be moved into a convenient position to be grasped by the purchaser, and in connection therewith a signal device, operated by the r.e-- moval of said package, to give warning to the owner of the store, or clerks employed therein,

that a package is being removed from the dispenser, the purchaser at that time paying the clerk for the package.

.The object of my invention is to provide a dispenser of the type above described, of simple, durable and inexpensive construction, having means whereby a comparatively large quantity of packages may be stored in a comparatively small space, and improved means for moving the packages to operative position where they may be easily removed.

A further object is to provide, in connection with the device above described, an improved signal device so constructed and arranged that a package cannot be removed from the dispenser without producing a warning signal.

A further object is to provide in a dispenser of that type employing one or more packagecontaining compartments adapted to receive packages arranged in vertical tiers and having means for dispensing the lower package of one of the tiers to a suitable outlet passage, improved means for advancing other tiers of packages into operative position when the first tier has been exhausted.

of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth,

pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the i accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates the lower portion of the front end of my improved device, a portion of the front end beingbroken away to show the interior construction; I

such as glass.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 showing diagrammatically the alarm system used in connection therewith;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 3-3. of Figure 2.

My improved device comprises a casing having a bottom Ill, a back I I, a top portion i2, and side members l3.

Supportedon the back end of the bottom in is a bar 14, and intermediate the front and back, a second bar l5. The casing is provided with a. series of partitions I6 which are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the packages I! to be dispensed, such as packages of cigarettes, and adapted to receive between them vertical tiers of said packages. Mounted on top of the bars M and I5 and adjacent to each side of the corresponding partition i6 is a bar l8,in such. manner that two bars H! are provided in the chamber between two opposite partitions it, as clearly illustrated in Figure 1 and serve to provide a floor for a number of tiers of ,the packages which are held in reserve. The front end of the platform it is provided with an upright member l9 to substantially the same height as the member 15.

Supported between the members l5 and I9 is a series of longitudinally extending blocks 20. Supported on the blocks 26 is what I shall term an ejector platform 2! which is positioned ata lower elevation than the top edges of the members It, so that a step is provided between the upper surface of the forward ends of the members i8 and the rear end of the platform 2! from which the dispensed packages are ejected.

Hinged to the under surface of the forward end of the top member I2 is a door 22 having end members 23, a back member 24, a bottom member 25 and a front member 26 spaced from the member 24 and formed of transparent material A space 2'! is thus formed in which display packages 28 are placed. The space between the members 2d and 26 may be provided with vertical partitions 29 substantially in alinement with the partitions it, so that the display packages in any one of the compartmeritsv formed between two of the partitions 29 may correspond to the packages formed in the chambers between the corresponding partitions IE, so that the purchaser may easily and quickly determine which of the ejector buttons 30,

hereinafter to be described, to operate in order to obtain the desired brand of cigarettes. The chambers 2'! formed between the partitions 29 are open at their upper ends for receiving The lower edge of the member is provided,-

with a yieldable contact member 3| which extends the full width of the door 22. edge of the member 25 is also provided with a contact member 32 adapted to be engaged by The front.

the member 3| as it is moved upwardly to close an electric circuit 33 in which the said contacts are included, the contact 3| being positioned at a distance from the platform 2| less than the thickness or height of one of the packages to be ejected, so that the removal of one of said 'packages will cause the member 3| to be elevated and to make contact with the member 32, causing the circuit 3| to be closed and an alarm device 34, such as an electric bell, actuated. The circuit 33 is preferably energized by means of a'step-down transformer 35 having its primary windings included in the house lighting circuit. However, a battery arrangement may be substituted for the transformer if so desired. For ejecting the lower one of the packages from the front tier forming one of the storage compartments between the partitions Hi I have provided the following mechanism: Fixed to the left hand surface of each of the members 20, as shown in Figure l, I have provided a pivot member or stud 36, on which is pivotally mounted a sleeve 31, the inner end of thesleeve 31 being provided with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined arm 38 terminating near the upper edge of the member l5 and adaptedto operate in a slot 39 formed in the inner edge of the member 2|, and of such length as to engage the'inner end of a package 40 when the upper end of said member 38 is moved forwardly, and to cause said package to be moved to position beneath the member 25 where the purchaser may grasp the same between his thumb and forefinger, after which the package may be removed in the manner before described.

For actuating the sleeve 31 a downwardly extending arm 4| is provided on the inner end of the sleeve 31 to which an operating bar 42 is pivotally connected, one end of said bar extending forwardly and outwardly through an opening 43 in the member l9 and provided at its outer end with a knob 30, before referred to. A spring 44 having one end attached to the lever 4| and its other end to a pin 45 mounted in the member 20, provides means for normally moving the upper end of the lever 38 rearwardly and the knob 36 forwardly, the knobs 30 being located in such a manner as to fall in alinement with the compartments to which they are operatively connected and in alinement with the display packages corresponding with the ones to be delivered by the member 38, so that the operator may easily determine which of the knobs to actuate in order to obtain a desired brand of cigarette.

For moving another tier of packages in operative position on the platform 2| after the front :tier of packages has been consumed from the storage space back of said tier, I have provided an upright bar 46 between the member II and the rear end of the tiers of packages in storage, said member 4'6 being of such width as to move between the members l8 and having its lower end provided with an enlarged portion 41 and its lower end slidably mounted on the bottom member III, the head 41 serving to assist in holding the member 46 in an upright position. The front face of the member 46 is provided with a pressure plate 48 which is somewhat wider than the member 46, having its lower end terminating above the members 8, the front face of the plate 48 being inclined slightly upwardly and rearwardly and having its lower end extending for- -wardly beyond the member 46 a distance somewhat greater than the thickness of the member |5, as illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 2, so

that as the member 46 is moved forward and the last tier of packages from the storage space is moved into operative position on the platform 2| the rear edge of said tier of packages will clear the forward end of the members l5.

For operating the member 41 I have provided a rod 49 slidably mounted on the members l5 and I9 and through the member 41, and provided at its rear end with a head 50 and at its front end with a knob 5|, the rod being of such length that when the member 46 is at its rearward position of movement, the knob 5| will be substantially near the front face of the member l9. By this arrangement it will be seen that if the knob 5| is moved forwardly, then the head 50 will engage the head 41, causing the bar 46 and the plate 48 to be moved forwardly, and with them all the tiers of packages supported on the bars l5, which movement will be continued until the front one of said tiers is moved in position on the platform 2| with its forward edge against the inner surface of the member 24. The rod 49 may then be moved rearwardly, sliding through the members l5, l9 and 41.

When it is desired to move another tier of packages in position, the rod is again moved forwardly, causing the member 46 again to be advanced a distance equal to the length of one tier of packages. I

The inclined surface of the member 43 provides means whereby the pressure will be applied to the lower one of the packages in the vertical tiers and to provide clearance between the upper packages and the front face of said member, the lower end of the member 48 projecting the member 46 so as to cause the lower package of the last tier to be moved forwardly of the ends of the member l5, as before described.

Thus, it will be seen I have provided a dispensing device of comparatively simple and cheap construction, so constructed and arranged that a different brand of packages may be carried in each of the storage compartments, and means whereby one of the packages of each of said compartments may be moved to operative position where they maybe easily grasped by the purchaser, and wherein the package cannot be removed without giving a warning signal to the clerk or owner of the store who might be en gaged in the sale of other goods, that the package has been removed from the dispenser, thus providing means for safeguarding the owner against the stealing of the packages, thus providing a dispensing device wherein any expensive coin-controlled devices are eliminated.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a package dispenser, a container comprising a base, spaced side members, back and front members, a floor for supporting vertical tiers of packages in reserve, a delivery platform at the front end of said floor and beneath said front member to support a vertical tier of packages adjacent to said front member to be delivered from said container, the front being provided with a passage through which the bottom packages of said front tier may be ejected one at a time, means for ejecting said packages, a pressure plate for moving said reserve tiers forwardly to replace said front tier when exhausted, and means for advancing said pressure plate, the forward face of said pressure plate being inclined upwardly and rearwardly for the purpose stated. 2. A package dispenser, comprising, a base, an upright front plate fixed to the front edge of said base, a pair of transversely arranged supporting bars, one at the rear end of said base and the other intermediate the ends of said base, upright side members spaced apart and carried by the said transversely arranged bars, a floor bar adjacent to each side of the lower edge of said side members and spaced apart for supporting tiers of packages in reserve, a delivery platform supported by the intermediate transverse bar and the first said plate, said platform being lower than the upper edges of said floor bars, a front member connecting the forward ends of said side members supported above said platform and intermediate its forward and rear edges, said platform being adapted to support a tier of packages adjacent to said front member, means for ejecting the lower one of said packages forwardly beneath said front member and on said platform, an upright pressure support behind the vertical tiers of packages in reserve and extending downwardly between said floor bars and terminating in a large portion slidably mounted beneath said bars, a rod connected to said enlarged portion slidably mounted in the intermediate transversely arranged bar and the first said upright plate, a knob mounted on the forward end of said rod, the front ends of the upper end of said pressure bar being provided with a pressure plate having its front face inclined upwardly and rearwardly.

3. In a package dispenser, a container, having a discharge opening in one side, adapted to support a series of vertical tiers of packages in re serve and a single tier of packages adjacent to said side from which packages may be ejected, means for ejecting the bottom package of said single tier from said container successively through said opening, a pressure plate slidably mounted to move toward and from said single tier and adapted to engage and move reserve tiers of packages forwardly upon forward movement of said pressure plate, with the front one of said tiers in position to replace said single tier when exhausted, the front face of said pressure plate being inclined upwardly and rearwardly, and means for actuating said pressure plate.

NEWELL N. BRIGHT. 

